Retro
by olive embers
Summary: It's not about the fighting, right, Zelly? [Selphie]


**r e t r o**.

* * *

"So, Selphie, will you go out with me yet?"

"Irvine, I thought we went through this the _last _time and the time before that and the time be---"

"Yeah, but ... I'm leaving soon, so I thought that maybe you'd reconsidered my offer."

She twitched, as though struck by some invisible force. And then blinked. "You're not staying...?"

"No, I'm not," He continued on obliviously. "Galbadia's in disarray and I need to go over and check it out. But not until next month––" He broke off. "I'm here for you till then, Princess."

Selphie did not answer the previous date question, even if she wanted to, but left very quickly.

Later on when she saw Zell working fruitlessly over one mechanical-related project or another, she suddenly flashed him a bright smile. "How 'bout we grab ice-cream?"

Zell brightened, glad to leave complications behind (well, they both were). "Works for me!"

* * *

At first it was just the ice-cream. Zell was happy with their daily ritual of the cookies-and-cream for her, and the assortment of banana sorbet and choc mint (blended, yes) for him. It wasn't until the third day of the fourth week that this had gone on, that he began to question.

"So..." He proposed as they were sitting underneath a giant oak tree. "How come you like spending time with me all of a sudden?"

Selphie took a thoughtful lick of her ice-cream. "You're funny. And sweet in that oblivious way. You're like ... I dunno, the Costello of Abbot and Costello."

"Cos-who?"

"Never mind. Popular culture reference," She laughed and swung her legs. "It's summer, and you're my official ice-cream buddy. 'Sides, there's absolutely _no _fighting or interesting missions going on, and you _talk_. All my friends ... I mean, they _talk_ ... but usually get bored and want some big thing to happen straight after. Like Irvine. He doesn't stand _still_. But you..."

"Just talk?" He flashed his customary grin.

"Yeah. I guess."

He scooted close to her, intent on being mischievous as always. "Well, maybe that's because---"

She caught him. "Zelly, I said **no **tickling."

(Because they really _were_ kids, if you thought about it).

* * *

Secondly, she decided, as their summer had taken a turn for the worst (rain, rain and more _rain _through some fault in meteorology), he was a companion through thick and thin.

"Let's play Monopoly!" Zell dragged out the game board from under the bed in her dorm. In fact, she couldn't exactly recall why she had _let _him in her dorm in the first place---but Irvine was away (permanently, it seemed; did she _ever _see him anymore?) and she was bored.

She quirked an eyebrow. "Do you even know what Monopoly is?" She ventured.

"Nope. But I'm prepared to find out. In the instructions it says it's 'a game of super fun and deception'. Well, I mean, that's pretty lame, but..."

Selphie pointed to the board. "See, it's all pretty simple..."

"What's the point of a board game anyway?" He asked.

"Well," She sighed. The constant explaining-of-how-the-world-works did grate on her nerves. Just a little bit. "People got bored, and sad, and decided to spunk their lives up. It's kind of like a distraction from the hardcore things. Plus, majorly competitive."

"Oh." Comprehension dawned. "So me hanging out with you 'cause it's funner than mechanics and SeeD work is like that, too?" He grinned (he knows what he's saying, she thought).

She pursed her lips. "...a little."

It was all she was prepared to say on the subject.

(It's all about education).

* * *

The third time Selphie really reflected on her choosing Zell as a companion slash best friend, she came to a conclusion she didn't particularly like.

Suffice to say, it didn't help when they called for a boardroom meeting that afternoon.

"Well," Rinoa commented as she stood at the front of the room (since when was she leading this discussion?). "Monster activity is at an all-time low, so ... there's not really much we can do. Besides, Ultimecia's gone, the Lunar Cry monsters are mostly annihilated, everything's peaceful, but I _think _if we---"

"God," Selphie burst. "Do you ever do _anything _but fight, guys?"

They were shocked.

Rinoa blanched. "But, Selph---"

"I haven't _seen _you for the past however long it's been cuz it's all you do. When you _fight _it makes everything _worse_. It's not even SeeD missions anymore, it's just ... and Rinoa … you're not even a SeeD, and I––I mean, it's for Squall, but––"

"No, it's not," She replied firmly. "It makes things better. Just help once in awhile, outside of missions, and then you'd see---"

"How can I help when you're not my friend anymore? You're just ... a mercenary?" Selphie teared (her own unique word for being close to said tears). "What you never wanted to be, Rinny?"

It would be ludicrous to point out to her that _she _was a mercenary and that was her job, because she never _felt _like it was, even when she was fighting, and Rinoa could say that she was perfect at it as much as she wanted. Besides, she wasn't the one lying to herself (or was she?).

"Yeah, you can come to Selphie's dorm and play Monopoly with us if you want. It was really fun," Zell commented in her defence, attempting to lighten the atmosphere.

There was a pause. Then Selphie coloured as she realised the connotations of that statement.

"_Zelly_."

(Obliviousness is the key to embarrassment).

* * *

Fourthly, Irvine had been gone a _really _long time. Almost a year and a half, Selphie reflected. And in that time, she and Zell had grown almost closer than Irvine and her---but in a completely different way. She and Irvine were friends-to-be-lovers-one-day, easy said, but...

Describing her relationship with _Zell_ was---

"Hey, Seff-chan!" He called familiarly as he strolled down the hallway of the apartment they now shared, away from SeeD (as roomies, not anything..._more_). "There's a report on attacks down at Timber. You wanna come with? We can dust these monsters easy." No talk of SeeD, no talk of protocol, just free-lance. It was _her _element. Not set in concrete, not never-ending.

She smiled. "You're picking up my vernacular."

"Well, I do spend a lotta time with you."

He really knew how to put things into context bluntly. She blushed.

"Well, _duh_, roomie!"

"Let's go---" He paused as he reached the door. And paled. "Um, Selph?"

"Yeah, wha---" _She _paled visibly as she peered out the door and found Irvine standing there, suitcase falling to the ground with a thump.

"..._huh_?" She promptly fainted.

(There's only so much surprise you can take in a lifetime).

* * *

When she came to, and Irvine was leaning over her, she had sincerely wished it would be Zell.

...god, how she _hated _life.

(But not really).

**END**.

* * *

And ta-dah. My attempt at light-hearted, humorous angst. Did it work? Cuz quite frankly, it just seems weird to me.  
But Selphie is a character who is humorous no matter _how _I try to write her.

...oh yeah, I don't own Final Fantasy, or Selphie, or Zell, or Irvine, or Rinoa. But that's kinda obvious.


End file.
